U.S. patent application number 12/727049 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-11 for methods and communication systems having adaptive mode selection.
Invention is credited to Chan-Byoung Chae, Gustavo de Veciana, Robert W. Heath, JR., Hongseok Kim.
Application Number | 20100284449 12/727049 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43062307 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100284449 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
de Veciana; Gustavo ; et
al. |
November 11, 2010 |
METHODS AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS HAVING ADAPTIVE MODE
SELECTION
Abstract
Examples are generally described that include methods for
selecting a transmit mode in a communications system. An example
method may include calculating a first transmission rate for data
in a multiple-input multiple-output mode of the communications
system and calculating a second transmission rate for the data in a
single-input multiple-output mode of the communications system. A
mode may be selected from the group consisting of the
multiple-input multiple-output mode and the single-input
multiple-output mode based, at least in part, on an energy
consumption of the first and second transmission rates. Data may be
transmitted from a transceiver in the communications system using
the selected mode.
Inventors: |
de Veciana; Gustavo;
(Austin, TX) ; Kim; Hongseok; (Chatham, NJ)
; Chae; Chan-Byoung; (Jersey City, NJ) ; Heath,
JR.; Robert W.; (Austin, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
Columbia Center, 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6100
SEATTLE
WA
98104-7043
US
|
Family ID: |
43062307 |
Appl. No.: |
12/727049 |
Filed: |
March 18, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61161166 |
Mar 18, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
375/219 ;
375/260; 375/295 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02D 70/1262 20180101;
Y02D 70/146 20180101; H04W 52/0261 20130101; Y02D 70/1264 20180101;
H04B 7/063 20130101; H04B 7/0877 20130101; Y02D 70/444 20180101;
H04B 7/0417 20130101; H04B 7/0689 20130101; Y02D 30/70
20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
375/219 ;
375/295; 375/260 |
International
Class: |
H04B 1/38 20060101
H04B001/38; H04L 27/00 20060101 H04L027/00 |
Claims
1. A method for selecting a transmission mode for a transceiver in
a communications system, the method comprising: calculating a first
transmission rate for data in a multiple-input multiple-output
(MIMO) mode of the communications system; calculating a second
transmission rate for the data in a single-input multiple-output
(SIMO) mode of the communications system; and selecting the
transmission mode based, at least in part, on an energy consumption
associated with the first and second transmission rates, wherein
the transmission mode corresponds to either the MIMO mode or the
SIMO mode.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting data
from the transceiver in the communications system using the
selected transmission mode.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the first
transmission rate comprises calculating the first transmission rate
based, at least in part, on an energy-optimized rate for data in
the MIMO mode.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the energy-optimized rate is
based, at least in part, on a power consumption of circuitry
coupled to a plurality of antennas at the transceiver when the
communications system is configured to transmit in the MIMO
mode.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the energy-optimized rate is
further based, at least in part, on a power consumption of the
transceiver during an idle time.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the first
transmission rate comprises selecting a maximum rate from the
energy-optimized rate and a target rate, wherein the target rate is
based, at least in part, on an average throughput for the
communications system.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the first
transmission rate comprises selecting a minimum rate from the
selected rate and a capacity rate for the communications system,
wherein the capacity rate is based, at least in part, on a
configuration of the communications system.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the second
transmission rate comprises calculating the second transmission
rate based, at least in part, on an energy-optimized rate for data
in the SIMO mode.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the energy-optimized rate is
based, at least in part, on a power consumption associated with
circuitry coupled to a single antenna configured to transmit in the
SIMO mode.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the second
transmission rate comprises selecting a maximum rate from the
energy-optimized rate and a target rate, wherein the target rate is
based, at least in part, on an average throughput for the
communications system.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating the second
transmission rate comprises selecting a minimum rate from the
selected rate and a capacity rate for the communications system,
wherein the capacity rate is based, at least in part, on a
configuration of the communications system.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected transmission mode
is further based, at least in part, on a number of users of the
communications system.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications system is
configured for communication over a communications channel, and
wherein selecting the transmission mode is further based, at least
in part, on a correlation in the communications channel.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the transmission mode
is further based, at least in part, on a number of receive antennas
in the communications system.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the first and second
transmission rates are performed by a base station.
16. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an identity
of a single antenna at the transceiver for use in the SIMO mode
when the selected transmission mode corresponds to the SIMO
mode.
17. A base station for use in communicating over a communications
channel, the base station comprising: a rate selector configured to
generate a first signal corresponding to a first transmission rate
for data in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode of the
communications system, wherein the rate selector is further
configured to generate a second signal corresponding to a second
transmission rate for data in a single-input multiple-output (SIMO)
mode of the communications system; a mode selector coupled to the
rate selector, wherein the mode selector is configured to receive
the first and second signals, and select a transmission mode based,
at least in part, on an energy consumption associated with the
first and second transmission rates, wherein the transmission mode
corresponds to either the MIMO mode or the SIMO mode; and a
transmitter coupled to the mode selector, wherein the transmitter
is configured to transmit a third signal to a transceiver in the
communications system, wherein the third signal identifies the
selected transmission mode for the transceiver.
18. The base station of claim 17, wherein the rate selector
comprises a MIMO rate selector configured to calculate the first
transmission rate based, at least in part, on an energy-optimized
rate for data in the MIMO mode.
19. The base station of claim 18, wherein the MIMO rate selector is
configured to receive a signal indicative of a power consumption of
circuitry coupled to a plurality of antennas at the transceiver,
and wherein the energy-optimized rate is based, at least in part,
on the power consumption of circuitry coupled to the plurality of
antennas at the transceiver configured to transmit in the MIMO
mode.
20. The base station of claim 19, wherein the MIMO rate selector is
further configured to receive a signal indicative a power
consumption of the transceiver during an idle time, and wherein the
energy-optimized rate is further based, at least in part, on the
power consumption of the transceiver during the idle time.
21. The base station of claim 17, wherein the rate selector
comprises a SIMO rate selector configured to calculate the second
transmission rate based, at least in part, on an energy-optimized
rate for data in the SIMO mode.
22. The base station of claim 21, wherein the SIMO rate selector is
further configured to receive a signal indicative of a power
consumption of circuitry coupled to a single antenna at the
transceiver, and wherein the energy-optimized rate is based, at
least in part, on the power consumption of the circuitry coupled to
the single antenna at the transceiver configured to transmit in the
SIMO mode.
23. The base station of claim 17, wherein the mode selector is
further configured to receive a signal indicative of a number of
users of the communications system, and wherein the selected mode
is further based, at least in part, on the number of users.
24. The base station of claim 17, wherein the communications system
is configured for communication over a communications channel, and
wherein the mode selector is further configured to select the mode
is based, at least in part, on a correlation in the communications
channel.
25. The base station of claim 17, wherein the mode selector is
further configured to select the selected transmission mode based,
at least in part, on a number of receive antennas at the
transceiver.
26. The base station of claim 17, wherein, when the selected mode
is the SIMO mode, the transmitter is further configured to transmit
a fifth signal corresponding to an identity of a single antenna for
use in the single-input multiple-output mode.
27. A mobile station for use in a communications system comprising:
a first antenna and a second antenna; first circuitry coupled to
the first antenna and configured to process signals for
transmission by the first antenna; second circuitry coupled to the
second antenna and configured to process signals for transmission
by the second antenna; and a controller coupled to the first and
second circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to receive a
control signal and, in accordance with the control signal, to
select between a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode wherein
both the first and second antennas transmit data over a
communications channel and a single-input multiple-output (SIMO)
mode wherein only one of the first and second antennas transmit
data over a communications channel.
28. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
based, at least in part, on a power consumption of the first and
second circuitry.
29. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
based, at last in part, on a number of users of the communications
system.
30. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
based, at least in part, on a correlation in the communications
channel.
31. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
based, at least in part, on energy optimized rates for the MIMO
mode and the SIMO mode.
32. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
based, at least in part, on an idle power consumption of the mobile
station.
33. The mobile station of claim 27, wherein the control signal is
transmitted to the mobile station by a base station.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/161,166, filed Mar. 18,
2009, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety for any purpose.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described
in this section are not prior art to the claims in this
application, and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in
this section.
[0003] Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems
employ multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to
communicate data symbols over a communications channel. MIMO
communication systems may allow a plurality of receivers to be
serviced utilizing a same frequency band. In this manner, MIMO
communication systems may advantageously increase an amount of data
the communication systems are able to send to users.
[0004] Single-input multiple-output (SIMO) communication systems
may employ a single transmit antenna and multiple receive antennas
to communicate data symbols over a communications channel.
[0005] MIMO and SIMO systems may find use in a variety of
applications including, but not limited to, wireless networks,
cellular systems including 3G and 4G systems, such as 3GPP
LTE-Advanced, local and wide area networks, and wireless broadband
systems (such as WiMAX or WiMAX2).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure
will become more fully apparent from the following description and
appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several
examples in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not
to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be
described with additional specificity and detail through use of the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0007] In the drawings:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for selecting
a transmit mode in a communications system;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for
calculating the first transmission rate for a MIMO mode of a
communications;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for
calculating the second transmission rate for a SIMO mode of a
communications;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a communications
system, all arranged in accordance with at least some examples of
the present disclosure; and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example computer
program product 500 that is arranged to store instructions for
selecting a transmission rate and selecting a transmission mode in
accordance with at least some examples of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the
drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components,
unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative examples
described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not
meant to be limiting. Other examples may be utilized, and other
changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of
the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood
that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described
herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged,
substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of
different configurations, all of which are implicitly contemplated
herein.
[0014] This disclosure is drawn, inter alia, to methods, systems,
devices, and/or apparatus generally related to selecting a transmit
mode in a communications system. An example method may include
calculating a first transmission rate for data in a multiple-input
multiple-output mode of the communications system and calculating a
second transmission rate for the data in a single-input
multiple-output mode of the communications system. A mode may be
selected from the group consisting of the multiple-input
multiple-output mode and the single-input multiple-output mode
based, at least in part, on an energy consumption of the first and
second transmission rates. Data may be transmitted from a
transceiver in the communications system using the selected
mode.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating some example methods
for selecting a transmit mode in a communications system arranged
in accordance with at least some examples of the present
disclosure. Example methods illustrated by FIG. 1 may include one
or more functions, operations or actions as are illustrated by
block 105, 110, 115 and/or 120. Processing may begin at block 105
and/or block 110.
[0016] In block 105, a first transmission rate for a multiple-input
multiple-output (MIMO) mode of a communications system may be
calculated. In block 110, a second transmission rate for a
single-input multiple-output (SIMO) mode of a communications system
may be calculated. Block 115 may follow the conclusion of the
calculations of blocks 105 and/or 110. In block 115, a selected
mode may be selected from the group consisting of the MIMO and SIMO
modes. The selection may be based, at least in part, on an energy
consumption of the first and second transmission rates. Block 115
may be followed by block 120. In block 120, data may be transmitted
from a transceiver in the communications system using the selected
MIMO or SIMO mode. In this manner, as will be described further
below, MIMO or SIMO mode operation may be adaptively selected
during operation of the communications system.
[0017] In block 105, a first transmission rate for a MIMO mode of
the communications system may be calculated. The first transmission
rate may be calculated based, at least in part, on an
energy-optimized rate for data in the MIMO mode. The
energy-optimized rate may be based, at least in part, on power
consumption of circuitry coupled to a plurality of antennas at the
transceiver which are configured to transmit in the MIMO mode. That
is, the power consumed by the circuitry used to process signals for
antennas used to transmit in the MIMO mode may be included in the
calculation of the energy-optimized rate. The energy-optimized rate
may also or instead be based, at least in part, on a power
consumption of the transceiver during an idle time. The idle time
is a time during which the transceiver may be waiting to send data
over the communications channel. The transceiver may, for example,
be waiting for a scheduled start time for the transceiver to use
the communications channel. Generally, greater power is needed to
transmit at higher rates in the communications system. Accordingly,
power may be saved by reducing the transmission rate in the MIMO
mode when a lower transmission rate is acceptable for a particular
application, to achieve a particular average throughput in some
examples. However, if the transmission rate is too slow, a greater
number of transceivers may become idle, waiting to send
transmissions over the communications channel. Even if the idling
transceivers turn off their transmission chains, some idle power
may be consumed due to leakage current or other effects. The idle
power spent at a lower transmission rate may accordingly make the
lower transmission rate less desirable in some examples.
[0018] The energy-optimized rate may be expressed mathematically in
the following equation:
e i , z ( t ) = argmin r ( .upsilon. i ( t ) f i , z ( r /
.upsilon. i ( t ) ) + ( 1 - .upsilon. i ( t ) ) p idle ) 1 r ;
##EQU00001##
where e.sub.i,z(t) is the energy-optimized rate for a user i, the
index z designates the MIMO mode, and r designates rate.
.upsilon..sub.i(t) is a fraction of time the user i is
transmitting, and 1-.upsilon..sub.i(t) is a fraction of time the
user i is idle. In some examples, where temporally fair scheduling
may be used, .upsilon..sub.i(t) may be equal to 1/n(t) where n(t)
is a number of users of the communications system.
f.sub.i,z(r/.upsilon..sub.i(t) is a function for an amount of power
consumed by user i during transmission.
[0019] Any of a variety of power models may be used to calculate
the amount of power consumed by user i during transmission in the
MIMO mode. The power consumption expression may vary with the type
of receiver used, such as a zero forcing receiver,
maximum-likelihood receiver, or MMSE receiver in some examples. In
one example, the transmission power equation f(r) may be expressed
mathematically as:
f ( r ) = 2 N 0 .eta..phi. 1 .phi. 2 ( ( .phi. 1 + .phi. 2 2 ) 2 +
.phi. 1 .phi. 2 ( 2 r / w - 1 ) - .phi. 1 + .phi. 2 2 ) + p dc . m
; ##EQU00002##
where N.sub.0 is the noise power, .eta. is an efficiency of a power
amplifier used to power one or more transmit antennas; .phi..sub.1
and .phi..sub.2 are eigenvalues of H*H, where H is a channel matrix
representing an operation of a channel on a transmitted data
symbol, and H* is the complex conjugate of H; r is the transmission
rate, w is the spectral bandwidth, and p.sub.dc,m is a power
consumption of circuitry coupled to the multiple antennas
configured to transmit in the MIMO mode. The power consumption of
the circuitry may include any of a variety of circuit components,
including power consumption of one or more digital-to-analog
converters, mixers, filters, and frequency synthesizers.
[0020] The first transmission rate may be equal to the
energy-optimized rate, or may be based on the energy-optimized
rate. The calculation of the first transmission rate may also take
into account a target rate and a capacity rate in some examples,
which will be described further below.
[0021] Referring again to FIG. 1, in block 110 a second
transmission rate for a SIMO mode of the communications system may
be calculated. The order of execution of the blocks 105 and 110 may
vary in examples of the invention. All or a portion of the
calculations in blocks 105 and 110 may occur in parallel in some
examples. In other examples, the calculation of the first
transmission rate may occur before the calculation of the second
transmission rate, and in other examples, the calculation of the
second transmission rate may occur before the calculation of the
first transmission rate.
[0022] Recall the energy-optimized rate may be mathematically
expressed as written above:
e i , z ( t ) = argmin r ( .upsilon. i ( t ) f i , z ( r /
.upsilon. i ( t ) ) + ( 1 - .upsilon. i ( t ) ) p idle ) 1 r ;
##EQU00003##
in block 110, the z index refers to the SIMO mode. Any of a variety
of power models may be used to calculate the amount of power
consumed by user i during transmission in the SIMO mode. The power
consumption expression may vary with the type of receiver used,
such as a zero forcing receiver, maximum-likelihood receiver, or
MMSE receiver in some examples. In one example, the transmission
power equation f(r) may be expressed mathematically as:
f ( r ) = 1 .eta. 2 r / w - 1 l = 1 N r h l , k ^ 2 N 0 + p dc , s
; ##EQU00004##
where N.sub.0 is the noise power, .eta. is an efficiency of a power
amplifier used to power one or more transmit antennas; l is an
index of a number of antennas, N.sub.r is a number of receive
antennas, and h.sub.k is the kth column vector of the channel
matrix H; r is the transmission rate, w is the spectral bandwidth,
and p.sub.dc,s is a power consumption of circuitry coupled to the
multiple antennas configured to transmit in the SIMO mode. The
power consumption of the circuitry may include any of a variety of
circuit components, including power consumption of one or more
digital-to-analog converters, mixers, filters, and frequency
synthesizers. Note that in SIMO mode, only one set of circuitry
coupled to the single transmit antenna may contribute substantially
to the p.sub.dc,s term. Accordingly, SIMO mode may consume less
power in circuitry for the transmit antennas than MIMO mode at some
rates.
[0023] While examples of the calculation of first and second
transmission rates involving an energy-optimized rate have been
described above, in some examples the first and second transmission
rates may be specified by the communications system, and may be
equal to one another.
[0024] Referring again to FIG. 1, in block 115 a selected mode may
be selected from the group consisting of the MIMO mode and the SIMO
mode based, at least in part, on an energy consumption of the first
and second transmission rates. That is, either the MIMO mode or the
SIMO mode may be selected based, at least in part, on which mode
provides a lower energy per bit for transmission in the
communications system. Mathematically, the selection may be
described as evaluation of the function for each user i where the
selected mode z is given as:
z ^ = argmin z .di-elect cons. { m , s } f i , z ( n ( t ) r i , z
( t ) ) r i , z ( t ) , ##EQU00005##
where f.sub.i,z is a transmit power function, examples of which
were described above, and r.sub.i,z represents the first and second
transmission rates for the respective modes z.
[0025] A crossover point for when SIMO consumes less power than
MIMO, or vice versa, may be considered a function of any of a
variety of variables including, but not limited to, the power
consumed by circuitry processing signals for the receive antennas,
a number of receive antennas, and channel correlations. The power
consumed by circuitry and number of receive antennas effect the
power consumed during transmission, as described above, and
accordingly may affect the crossover point. Correlations in the
communications channel of the communications system may further
effect the crossover point by reducing an available capacity of the
MIMO mode, making a SIMO mode more energy efficient in some
examples.
[0026] The transmission mode may be selected periodically in block
115 in some examples. In some examples, the transmission mode may
be selected once for each data frame. In this manner, the
transmission mode may be adaptively changed during operation of a
communications system.
[0027] In block 120, data may be transmitted from a transceiver in
the communications system using the selected MIMO or SIMO mode. In
some examples, the selection of the MIMO or SIMO mode may be made
in a base station of the communications system. The transmission
mode may then be communicated to a mobile station, which may then
encode data for transmission in accordance with the indicated MIMO
or SIMO mode. If SIMO mode is selected, a particular antenna may
also be specified for use in transmission. In one example, the
antenna selected is one in which the product h.sub.k*h.sub.k is
largest, where h.sub.k is the k-th column vector of the channel
matrix H.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating some example methods
for calculating the first transmission rate for a MIMO mode of a
communications system arranged in accordance with at least some
examples of the present disclosure. Example methods illustrated by
FIG. 2 may include one or more functions, operations or actions as
are illustrated by blocks 205, 210, and/or 215. Processing for the
illustrated methods may begin at block 205.
[0029] In block 205, an energy-optimized rate for data transmission
in the MIMO mode may be calculated, for example, by a base station
in a communications system. Block 205 may be followed by block 210.
In block 210, a maximum rate may be selected, for example, by a
base station in a communications system, from the energy-optimized
rate and a target rate based, at least in part, on an average
throughput. Block 210 may be followed by block 215. In block 215, a
minimum rate may be selected, for example, by a base station in a
communications system, from the maximum rate and a capacity rate of
the communications system. The minimum rate selected in the block
215 may then be utilized as the first transmission rate described
with reference to FIG. 1.
[0030] In block 205, an energy-optimized rate for data transmission
in the MIMO mode may be calculated, by a device such as a base
station in a communications system. Examples of the calculation of
the energy-optimized rate have been described above. In some
examples, the energy-optimized rate may be used as the first
transmission rate used to select the mode. However, in other
examples, a different rate may be used, as described further now
with reference to FIG. 2.
[0031] In block 210, a maximum rate may be selected, by a device
such as a base station in a communications system, from the
energy-optimized rate and a target rate based, at least in part, on
an average throughput. One or more receivers or transmitters in the
communications system may specify an average throughput for data.
In some examples, the average throughput itself may be equivalent
to the target rate. In other examples, the target rate may be
reduced relative to the average throughput if the data to be
transmitted is fault tolerant, such as in examples where data files
are transmitted in the communications system. Accordingly, the
target rate represents a rate required by a user, transmitter, or
receiver, of the communications system. If the energy-optimized
rate is less than the target rate, the target rate may instead be
used as the first transmission rate in FIG. 1. If the
energy-optimized rate is greater than the target rate, the
energy-optimized rate may be used as the first transmission rate in
FIG. 1.
[0032] Referring again to FIG. 2, in block 215, a minimum rate may
be selected, by a device such as a base station in a communications
system, from the maximum rate selected in block 210 and a capacity
rate of the communications system. The capacity rate may represent
a maximum feasible transmission rate of the communications system.
Accordingly, if the rate selected in the block 210 is greater than
the capacity rate, the capacity rate may be used as the first
transmission rate in FIG. 1. If the rate selected in the block 210
is less than the capacity rate, the rate selected in the block 210
may be used as the first transmission rate in FIG. 1. The capacity
rate may be calculated based on parameters of the communications
system, including an available power supply, for example.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating some methods for
calculating the second transmission rate for a SIMO mode of a
communications system arranged in accordance with at least some
examples of the present disclosure. Example methods illustrated by
FIG. 3 may include one or more functions, operations or actions as
are illustrated by blocks 305, 310, and/or 315. Processing for the
illustrated methods may begin at block 305.
[0034] In block 305, an energy-optimized rate for data transmission
in the SIMO mode may be calculated, for example, by a base station
in a communications system. Block 305 may be followed by block 310.
In block 310, a maximum rate may be selected, for example, by a
base station in a communications system, from the energy-optimized
rate and a target rate based, at least in part, on an average
throughput. Block 310 may be followed by block 315. In block 315, a
minimum rate may be selected, for example, by a base station in a
communications system, from the maximum rate and a capacity rate of
the communications system. The minimum rate selected in the block
315 may then be utilized as the second transmission rate described
with reference to FIG. 1.
[0035] In block 305, an energy-optimized rate for data transmission
in the SIMO mode may be calculated, for example, by a base station
in a communications system. Examples of the calculation of the
energy-optimized rate have been described above. In some examples,
the energy-optimized rate may be used as the first transmission
rate used to select the mode. However, in other examples, a
different rate may be used, as described further now with reference
to FIG. 3.
[0036] In block 310, a maximum rate may be selected, for example,
by a base station in a communications system, from the
energy-optimized rate and a target rate based, at least in part, on
an average throughput. The target rate has been described above. If
the energy-optimized rate for the SIMO mode calculated in the block
305 is less than the target rate, the target rate may instead be
used as the first transmission rate in FIG. 1. If the
energy-optimized rate is greater than the target rate, the
energy-optimized rate may be used as the second transmission rate
in FIG. 1.
[0037] Referring again to FIG. 3, in block 315, a minimum rate may
be selected, for example, by a base station in a communications
system, from the maximum rate selected in block 310 and a capacity
rate of the communications system. The capacity rate has been
described above with reference to FIG. 2. If the rate selected in
the block 310 is greater than the capacity rate, the capacity rate
may be used as the second transmission rate in FIG. 1. If the rate
selected in the block 310 is less than the capacity rate, the rate
selected in the block 310 may be used as the second transmission
rate in FIG. 1.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of some example
communications systems arranged in accordance with at least some
examples of the present disclosure. The example communications
system 400 includes a base station 405 and three mobile stations
410, 415, and 420. The base station 405 is configured to
communicate with the mobile stations 410, 415, and 420 over a
communications channel 422 represented by a channel matrix H. The
base station 405 includes a rate selector 430, which may include a
MIMO rate selector 432 and SIMO rate selector 434. Parameter
storage 435 may be coupled to the rate selector 430. A mode
selector 440 may be coupled to the rate selector 435 and a
transmitter 442. The base station 405 may include two antennas 444
and 446 configured to transmit and/or receive over the
communications channel 422. A decoder 447 may be coupled to the
antennas 444 and 446 and the transmitter 442, and may be further
coupled to the parameter storage 435. The mobile station 410 may
include two antennas 450 and 452. First circuitry 454 is coupled to
the antenna 450 and configured to process signals for transmission
by the antenna 450. The first circuitry may include a
digital-to-analog converter 455, a filter 456, a mixer 457, a
filter 458, and a power amplifier 459. Second circuitry 460 may be
coupled to the antenna 452 and configured to process signals for
transmission by the antenna 452. The second circuitry 460 may also
include a digital-to-analog converter 461, a filter 462, a mixer
463, a filter 464, and a power amplifier 465. A local oscillator
452 may be coupled to the first circuitry 454 and the second
circuitry 460 at the respective mixers 457 and 463. An encoder 470
may be coupled to the first and second circuitry. A controller 475
may be coupled to the encoder 470 and configured to provide a
signal to the encoder 470 to operate in a MIMO mode or a SIMO mode.
A feedback decoder 477 may be coupled to the controller 475 and one
or more of the antennas 450 and 452 and configured to decode
received data and provide a signal to the controller 475
corresponding to a selected mode. The mobile stations 415 and 420
may have analogous components to the mobile station 410, which are
not shown in FIG. 4. Further, blocks used to encode and modulate
data for transmission over the communications channel 422 and
decode and demodulate data received over the communications channel
422 have not necessarily been shown in FIG. 4 to avoid obscuring
the components shown and described below.
[0039] The base station 405 may be configured to communicate with
any number of mobile stations, including the mobile stations 410,
415, and 420 shown in FIG. 4. The base station 405 may be
configured to transmit data symbols over the communications channel
422 to the base stations 410, 415, and 420. Examples of components
of the base station 405 are described further below, however, not
all components of the base station 405 may be described. In
particular, the base station 405 may include any of a variety of
components useful for encoding, decoding, transmitting, and/or
receiving over the communications channel including for example
encoders, decoders, modulators, demodulators, analog-to-digital
converters, digital-to-analog converters, etc.
[0040] Any number of antennas may be included at the base station
405, including the antennas 444 and 446. The antennas may be
configured to transmit data symbols over the communications channel
422, and receive data symbols over the communications channel.
Multiple antennas may be configured to allow for spatial
multiplexing, as is generally described above.
[0041] The rate selector 430 may be configured to generate a first
signal corresponding to a first transmission rate for data in a
multiple-input multiple-output mode of the communications system
400 and a second signal corresponding to a second transmission rate
for data in a single-input multiple-output mode of the
communications system 400. Accordingly, the rate selector 430 may
implement examples of the methods for calculating the first and
second transmission rates as described above. The rate selector 430
may be implemented in hardware, software, or combinations thereof,
and one or more processing units used to implement the rate
selector 430 may, in some examples, be shared with other components
of the base station 405 described herein. Although shown in the
base station 405, the rate selector 430 may in some embodiments be
provided at one or more of the mobile stations 410, 415, and 420.
That is, in some examples, when the mobile station may be
configured to calculate one or more transmission rates as described
above. Generally, when the mobile station is configured to
calculate the transmission rates, the mobile station may be
provided with information suitable for making the calculation,
including, for example, information about the channel 422.
[0042] The rate selector 430 may include a MIMO rate selector 432
and a SIMO rate selector 434. Although illustrated separately in
FIG. 4, the MIMO and SIMO rate selectors may be implemented in some
examples using all or portions of the same hardware, software, or
combinations thereof. The MIMO rate selector 432 may be configured
to calculate the first transmission rate based, at least in part,
on an energy-optimized rate for data in the
multiple-input-multiple-output mode. The MIMO rate selector 432 may
be further configured to calculate the energy-optimized rate.
[0043] The SIMO rate selector 434 may be configured to calculate
the second transmission rate based, at least in part, on an
energy-optimized rate for data in the single-input-multiple-output
mode. The SIMO rate selector 434 may be further configured to
calculate the energy-optimized rate.
[0044] The MIMO and SIMO rate selectors 432 and 434 may accordingly
make use of one or multiple parameters of the communications system
400 in calculating the first and second transmission rates, as
generally described above, including, but not limited to, idle
power consumption of one or more mobile stations, transmission
circuitry power consumption of one or more mobile stations, number
of users of the communications system, number of receive antennas
at the base station or one or more mobile stations, and variations
in the communications channel 422. These parameters may be provided
to the rate selector 430, including the MIMO and SIMO rate
selectors 432 and 434, in any of a variety of ways, examples of
which are described further below.
[0045] One or more of the parameters used by the rate selector 430
may be stored in the parameters storage 435. Any type of storage
device may be used to implement the parameter storage 435,
including any type of electronic memory, which may be integral to
or in communication with the base station 405.
[0046] Various data or other information associated with a power
consumption of the mobile station 410 during an idle time, or other
mobile stations in the communications system 400 may be stored in
the parameter storage 435. Recall the idle time may include times
during which the mobile station 410 is waiting to send data over
the communications channel, such as waiting for a scheduled time to
begin transmission. Alternatively or in addition to storing
information related to the power consumption of the mobile station
410 during an idle time, a signal indicative of the power
consumption during an idle time may be provided to the rate
selector 430, without necessarily storing the parameter. In some
examples, a default value may be stored and may be updated by a
communication from the mobile station 410, or other mobile
stations, over the communications channel 422. A feedback control
channel may be used to carry the updated power consumption
information, and it may be received and decoded by the receiver
447, and stored in the parameter storage 435.
[0047] Various information associated with power consumption of the
circuitry 454 and 460 may be stored in the parameter storage 435.
The information may include a rate of power consumption of the
circuitry 454 or 460 during the transmission of data over the
communications channel. Alternatively or in addition to storing
information related to the power consumption of the circuitry 454
or 460, a signal indicative of the power consumption of the
circuitry 454 or 460 may be provided to the rate selector 430,
without necessarily storing the information. In some examples, a
default value may be stored and may be updated by a communication
from the mobile station 410, or other mobile stations, over the
communications channel 422. A feedback control channel may be used
to carry the updated circuitry power consumption information, and
it may be received and decoded by the receiver 447, and stored in
the parameter storage 435.
[0048] Various data or other information indicating a number of
users of the communications system 400 may be stored in the
parameter storage 435, and a signal indicative of the number of
users may be provided to the rate selector 430. In some examples,
the signal may not be provided by the parameter storage 435, and
may be provided by another component of the base station 405 (not
necessarily shown in FIG. 4) that has access to the number of
users, such as a component of the base station 405 involved in
scheduling user transmission.
[0049] A number of receive antennas at the base station is known to
the base station, and a signal indicative of the number of antennas
may be used by the rate selector 430 in calculating the first and
second transmission rates for MIMO and SIMO modes, respectively. A
number of antennas at one or more of the mobile stations 410, 415,
420, may communicated to the base station 405 and provided to the
rate selector 430. Alternatively or in addition, the number of
antennas may be stored in the parameter storage 435.
[0050] Channel variations or other channel information used by the
rate selector 430 may be stored in the parameter storage 435 in
some examples, and may be provided to the rate selector 430 by
other components of the base station 405 (not necessarily shown in
FIG. 4), such as components involved in the generation or analysis
of channel state information.
[0051] The mode selector 440 may be coupled to the rate selector.
The mode selector 440 may be configured to receive the first and
second signals indicative of the first and second transmission
rates. The mode selector 440 may be configured to select a selected
mode from the group consisting of the multiple-input
multiple-output mode and the single-input multiple-output mode
based, at least in part, on an energy consumption of the first and
second transmission rates. The mode selector 440 may be implemented
in hardware, software, or combinations thereof, and one or more
processing units used to implement the mode selector 440 in some
examples may be shared with other components of the base station
440 described herein. Although the mode selector 440 is shown in
FIG. 4 in the base station 405, in other examples the mode selector
440 may be implemented in one or more mobile stations, such as the
mobile station 410, 415, or 420. The mode selector 440 may be
configured to implement examples of methods described above for
selecting between the MIMO and SIMO mode. In making the selection,
the mode selector 440 may also be provided with one or more signals
indicative of parameters of the communications system 400, as
generally described above with reference to the rate selector 430.
The mode selector 440 may also be configured to identify one of a
plurality of transmit antennas at a mobile station to use when SIMO
mode is selected. The mode selector 440 may also provide a signal
corresponding to the selected mode to the receiver 447.
[0052] The transmitter 442 may be coupled to the mode selector 440
and configured to transmit a signal corresponding to the selected
mode to one or more of the mobile stations, such as the mobile
station 410. In some examples, the transmitter 442 may also be
configured to encode data to be transmitted over the communications
channel. In some examples, the signal corresponding to the selected
mode may be implemented as a bit that may be included in one or
more data frames. As mentioned above, the transmission mode may be
changed periodically. In some examples, the transmission mode may
be selected once for each data frame. In this manner, the
transmission mode may be adaptively changed during operation of a
communications system.
[0053] The transmitter 442 may also be configured to transmit a
signal indicative of which of a plurality of transmit antennas at
the mobile station to use when the mode is SIMO. For example, the
transmitter 442 may be configured to transmit an indication that
the antenna 450 at the mobile station 410 should be used to
transmit when SIMO mode is selected.
[0054] The receiver 447 may be configured to receive and decode
data from the communications channel 422. The receiver 447 may be
provided with a signal indicative of the selected mode from the
mode selector 440. Responsive to the signal, the receiver 447 may
change the manner in which received data is decoded. The receiver
447 may thus be dynamically configured to decode received data in a
different manner based on whether the SIMO mode is selected or the
MIMO mode is selected. Any suitable strategy for SIMO or MIMO
decoding may be implemented by the receiver 447. In some examples,
multiple decoders may be included in the base station 405,
including one for SIMO decoding and one for MIMO decoding. While in
some examples the receiver 447 may implement a decoding method
based on a selected mode provided by the mode selector 440, in
other examples the receiver 447 may implement a decoding method
based on mode information received from one or more mobile
stations, such as the mobile station 410. In some examples as will
be discussed further below, the mobile station 410 may be
configured to override a mode selection received from the mode
selector 440, and a different mode may be used to transmit. The
receiver 447 may accordingly be dynamically configured to decode
data in accordance with a mode indicator received from one or more
mobile stations. The receiver 447 may also decode feedback
information received from one or more mobile stations, and provide
signals to one or more of the parameter storage 435 and/or the rate
selector 430.
[0055] Any number of mobile stations may generally be configured
for communication with the base station 405. Three mobile stations
410, 415, and 420 are shown in FIG. 4. Any of a variety of devices
may be used as a mobile station, including but not limited to,
cellular telephones, laptop computers, desktop computers, and
personal digital assistants or other similar computing devices that
are configured for MIMO/SIMO communications. A device need not be
mobile to be used as a mobile station. Components of all mobile
stations are not shown in FIG. 4. The mobile station 410 will be
described as an example, and the mobile stations 415 and 420 may
also include components analogous to those described with reference
to the mobile station 410.
[0056] The mobile station 410 may be configured to communicate data
symbols over the communications channel 422 and receive data
symbols over the communications channel 422. While a single
communications channel 422 is shown in FIG. 4, multiple
communications channels may be utilized by the communications
system 400. Not all components of the mobile station 410 are shown
in FIG. 4, and any of a variety of components useful for the
sending and receiving of data symbols may be included in the mobile
station 410 including, but not limited to, encoders, decoders,
modulators, demodulators, analog-to-digital converters, and
digital-to-analog converters.
[0057] Circuitry 454 and 460 may be coupled to the antennas 450 and
452, respectively. The circuitry 454 and 460 may be configured to
process signals for transmission by the antennas 450 and 452. The
circuitry 454 may include a digital-to-analog converter 455, filter
456, mixer 457, filter 458, and power amplifier 459. The circuitry
460 may include a digital-to-analog converter 461, filter 462,
mixer 463, filter 464, and power amplifier 465. A local oscillator
466 may be coupled to both the circuitry 454 and 460 at the
respective mixers 457 and 463. The power consumption of the
circuitry 454 and 460 may be used to calculate the MIMO and SIMO
transmission rates, as generally described above. Accordingly, a
signal indicative of the power consumption of the circuitry 454 and
460 may in some examples be communicated to the base station 405.
In other examples, the base station 405 may determine an
approximation of the power consumption of the circuitry 454 and
460.
[0058] A feedback decoder 477 may be coupled to the antennas 450
and 452 and configured to decode feedback signals received from the
base station 405. The feedback signals may include control signals
corresponding to a selected mode, selected rate, selected antenna
for use in SIMO mode, or combinations of those, as generally
described above. A feedback control channel may be used to
communicate the feedback information, and generally any type of
feedback control channel may be used, including for example a
dedicated or an optional feedback control channel.
[0059] A controller 475 may be coupled to the feedback decoder 477
and an encoder 470.
[0060] The controller 475 may be provided with a signal indicative
of the selected mode, selected rate, selected antenna, or
combinations thereof. Based on the received signals, the controller
may configure the encoder 470 to encode data using the selected
mode, selected rate, selected antenna, or combinations thereof.
That is, as described above, the base station 405 may be configured
to communicate a selected mode of MIMO or SIMO mode to the mobile
station 410. If the selected mode is a MIMO mode, the controller
475 may provide a control signal to the encoder 470 to configure
the encoder 470 for MIMO operation using both the antennas 450 and
452. If the selected mode is SIMO mode, the controller 475 may
provide a control signal to the encoder 470 to configure the
encoder 470 for SIMO operation using either the antenna 450 or 452.
In some examples, the controller 475 may not configure the encoder
470 in accordance with the mode selected by the base station 405,
but may override that selection based on some other criteria. For
example, if a battery power at the mobile station 410 is too low to
implement a mode selection made by the base station 405, the
controller 475 may implement a different mode. The controller may
be implemented in hardware, software, or combinations thereof, and
one or more processing units used to implement the controller 475
in some examples may be shared with other components of the mobile
station 410.
[0061] The encoder 470 may be coupled to the circuitry 454 and 460
and configured to encode data for transmission over the
communications channel 422 in accordance with a control signal
provided by the controller 475. In particular, the encoder may be
dynamically configured to encode data in either a MIMO mode or a
SIMO mode. While one encoder is shown in FIG. 4, any number may be
used, including one for MIMO mode and one for SIMO mode. The
encoder 470 may be implemented in hardware, software, or
combinations thereof, and one or more processing units used to
implement the encoder 470 may be shared with other components of
the mobile station 410. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an
example computer program product 500 that is arranged to store
instructions for selecting a transmission rate and selecting a
transmission mode in accordance with at least some examples of the
present disclosure. The signal bearing medium 502 which may be
implemented as or include a computer-readable medium 506, a
recordable medium 508, a communications medium 510, or combinations
thereof, stores instructions 504 that may configure one or more
processing units to perform all or some of the processes previously
described. These instructions may include, for example, one or more
executable instructions 511 causing one or more processing units to
calculate 511 a first transmission rate for a MIMO mode of a
communications system, calculate 515 a second transmission rate for
a MIMO mode of a communications system, and select 520 a selected
transmission mode from the group consisting of the MIMO and SIMO
modes based, at least in part, on an energy consumption of the
first and second transmission rates. The computer program product
500 may be stored at least partially in a base station of the
communications system in some examples, and the base station may
also execute the programming instructions shown in FIG. 5 in some
examples.
[0062] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the
particular examples described in this application, which are
intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications
and examples can may be made without departing from its spirit and
scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of
the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be
apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing
descriptions. Such modifications and examples are intended to fall
within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is
to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with
the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It
is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to
particular methods, reagents, compounds compositions or biological
systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood
that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular examples only, and is not intended to be limiting.
[0063] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or
singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate
from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the
plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The
various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth
herein for sake of clarity.
[0064] It will be understood by those within the art that, in
general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims
(e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as
"open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as
"including but not limited to," the term "having" should be
interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be
interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.).
[0065] It will be further understood by those within the art that
if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended,
such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the
absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example,
as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may
contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one
or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such
phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a
claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any
particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to
examples containing only one such recitation, even when the same
claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least
one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or
"an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or
more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used
to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific
number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited,
those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should
be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare
recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at
least two recitations, or two or more recitations).
[0066] Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous
to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a
construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art
would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least
one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems
that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C
together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In
those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A,
B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended
in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the
convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C"
would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B
alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C
together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further
understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive
word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms,
whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be
understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the
terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase
"A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or
"B" or "A and B."
[0067] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are
described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will
recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of
any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush
group.
[0068] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and
all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description,
all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible
subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range
can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling
the same range being broken down into at least equal halves,
thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example,
each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower
third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be
understood by one skilled in the art all language such as "up to,"
"at least," "greater than," "less than," and the like include the
number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken
down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be
understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each
individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 items
refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 items. Similarly, a group having
1-5 items refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items, and so
forth.
[0069] While the foregoing detailed description has set forth
various examples of the devices and/or processes via the use of
block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples, such block diagrams,
flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or
operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each
function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts,
or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively,
by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any
combination thereof. In one example, several portions of the
subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application
Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate
Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other
integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will
recognize that some aspects of the examples disclosed herein, in
whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integrated
circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more
computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more
computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more
processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more
microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination
thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code
for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of
one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. For example,
if a user determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the
user may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; if
flexibility is paramount, the user may opt for a mainly software
implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the user may opt for
some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.
[0070] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable
of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms,
and that an illustrative example of the subject matter described
herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing
medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a
signal bearing medium include, but are not limited to, the
following: a recordable type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard
disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), a
digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and a transmission type
medium such as a digital and/or an analog communication medium
(e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications
link, a wireless communication link, etc.).
[0071] Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common
within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion
set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to
integrate such described devices and/or processes into data
processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices
and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data
processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those
having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data
processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit
housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and
non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital
signal processors, computational entities such as operating
systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications
programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or
screen, and/or control systems including feedback loops and control
motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity;
control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or
quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented
utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as
those typically found in data computing/communication and/or
network computing/communication systems.
[0072] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates
different components contained within, or connected with, different
other components. It is to be understood that such depicted
architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other
architectures can be implemented which achieve the same
functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components
to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such
that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two
components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality
can be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired
functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or
intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated
can also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably
coupled", to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and
any two components capable of being so associated can also be
viewed as being "operably couplable", to each other to achieve the
desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable
include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or
physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable
and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically
interacting and/or logically interactable components.
[0073] While various aspects and examples have been disclosed
herein, other aspects and examples will be apparent to those
skilled in the art. The various aspects and examples disclosed
herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be
limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the
following claims.
* * * * *